View report page

84
The medical staff of the Authority are of opinion that this test should be carried out several
times during the attendance of an expectant mother at the ante-natal clinics, not only for purposes
of confirmation or otherwise of a condition provisionally diagnosed but for purposes of presaging
the existence of some condition not otherwise apparent. It is claimed for this test that it may sometimes
give warning of the onset of toxaemia during pregnancy, but the reservation must be made that
the test is not absolute and will in some cases fail to give warning of danger. Nevertheless to the
extent to which it may be helpful in suggesting possible danger ahead, it is a test which would be
useful and should be carried out.
376 expectant mothers attended the ante-natal clinics 1,113 times during 1925 and 324 new
cases and 117 cases brought forward from 1925 have made 1,574 attendances in 1926. An expectant
mother then at present attends on the average 3 to 4 times during her pregnancy and probably occupies
the time of a doctor 1 hour. The blood pressure test would take on the average something like five
or six minutes or say add fifteen minutes to the average time now given by a doctor during the attendances
of an expectant mother.
This means that the following additional time has to be found per annum by the clinic medical
staff on the basis of the current year's figures :—
Approximate number of Expectant mothers attending during 1928 Approximate additional time required per annum for applying blood pressure test.
Dr. Maitland, Clinic I. 65 16 hours.
Dr. Nicoll, Clinic I. Ill 27 hours.
Dr. Mackenzie, Clinic II. 176 44 hours.
Dr. Gray, Clinic II. 169 42 hours.
The total attendances of all cases actually seen by the medical staff during the 4 weeks ended
6/11/26 were as follows:—
Dr. Maitland, Clinic I. 866
Dr. Nicoll, Clinic I. 1,193
Dr. Mackenzie, Clinic II 1,404
Dr. Gray, Clinic II 1,814
Each clinic medical officer spends 30 sessions every four weeks in the clinic. An afternoon
session is 2f hours and a morning session 3 hours. Allowing that 30 cases may be seen per session
it is obvious that 900 cases can be dealt with per doctor per 4 weeks and when the number is 1,000
a figure has been reached that may still be assumed to be not unreasonable.
The above figures shew that it is possible for Dr. Maitland to carry out the test, that it may
be just possible for Dr. Nicoll but that it is impossible for Drs. Mackenzie and Gray.
Following-up.
In the case of School Children who fail to attend the clinics at the times appointed by the
Medical Officers subsequent visits are paid by the Health Visitors to ascertain if any reason of ill
health prevented attendance. In the case of expectant mothers and babies this procedure is not
operative. In the opinion of the medical staff it is desirable that the same procedure should be
adopted in the case of expectant mothers to ascertain if illness often presumed by the patient to be
either of a minor character or necessarily incidental to her condition has overtaken the expectant
mother preventing her attendance.
The institution of this procedure would, however, again tend to increase attendances with
which the present staff are unable to cope.
George F. Buchan,
December, 1926. Medical Officer^of Health.
APPENDIX G.
REPORT ON ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TREATMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED
31st DECEMBER, 1926.
by
H. HALDIN-DAVIS, M.D., M.R.C.P., F.R.C.S., Dermatologist to the Council.
(1) The Medical Officer in charge of the treatment is H. Haldin-Davis, M.A., M.D., B.Ch.,
F.R.C.S., M.R.C.P., Dermatologist to the Willesden Urban District Council and Royal Free Hospital.
His appointment was approved by the Board of Education and the Ministry of Health on the 31st
August, 1925.